Ben Tennyson

Ben Tennyson
Ben 10 character
Ben Tennyson as depicted in (from left to right) Ben 10 (2005), Ben 10: Alien Force & Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, Ben 10: Omniverse, and Ben 10 (2016)
First appearance	"And Then There Were 10" (2005)
Last appearance	"Alien X-Tinction" (2021)
Created by	Joe Kelly Joe Casey Duncan Rouleau Steven T. Seagle
Voiced by	Tara Strong (young) (2005–2008; 2010; 2012–2021) Yuri Lowenthal (teenager and elder) (2008–2014; 2018; 2021) As Ben 10,000: Fred Tatasciore (2006–2007; 2021) Sean Donnellan (Ultimate Alien) Judd Nelson (Omniverse)
Portrayed by	Graham Phillips (Race Against Time) Ryan Kelley (Alien Swarm)
In-universe information
Full name	Benjamin Kirby Tennyson
Nickname	Ben
Species	Human
Title	Ben 10 Ben Prime Ben 10,000 (future) Tennyson Hero of the Highbreed Wars Conqueror of Vilgax
Affiliation	Ben's Team Plumbers SECT Team Tennyson (disbanded) Galactic Enforcers (formerly)
Family	Classic continuity: Carl Tennyson (father) Sandra Tennyson (mother) Frank Tennyson (paternal uncle) Natalie Tennyson (paternal aunt-in-law) Gwen Tennyson (paternal cousin) Ken Tennyson (paternal cousin) Manny Tennyson (paternal uncle) Max Tennyson (paternal grandfather) Verdona (paternal grandmother) Sunny (paternal cousin) Reboot: Glitch (½ Galvanic Mechamorph ½ Human: Genetic copy/biological "brother")
Significant others	Kai Green (girlfriend, future wife) Julie Yamamoto (ex-girlfriend) Elena Validus (former crush) Ester (ex-girlfriend)
Children	Classic continuity: Ken "Kenny" Tennyson (son; future) Gwen Tennyson (daughter; future) 14 Offspring of Big Chill
Relatives	Classic continuity: Gordon Tennyson (paternal granduncle) Betty Jean Tennyson (paternal grandaunt-in-law) Vera Tennyson (paternal grandaunt) Ben (paternal great-great-grandfather) Jedediah Tennyson (paternal great-granduncle) Joel Tennyson (paternal first-cousin-once-removed) Camille Mann-Tennyson (paternal first-cousin-once-removed-in-law) Clyde Fife (paternal second-cousin) Lucy Mann (without kinship) Reboot: Lady Wilhelmina Warwick (paternal first cousin twice removed) Kathy (paternal aunt-in-law) Dave (paternal great-granduncle) Bob (paternal great-granduncle) Alfred Lord Tennyson (paternal second cousin twice removed) Rita (paternal great-great-grandmother) Jen (paternal cousin) Mac Bennyson (paternal first cousin twice removed) Penny Bennyson (paternal third cousin)
Nationality	American
Abilities	Skills: Intuitive aptitude Enhanced memory Leadership expertise Freestyle unarmed combat Marksmanship proficiency Piloting skills Omnitrix usage grants: Species-shifting Genetic repair Universal translation

Benjamin Kirby "Ben" Tennyson, commonly known as Ben 10, is a fictional superhero and the titular protagonist of the Ben 10 franchise created by Man of Action and owned by Cartoon Network. The character was designed to resonate with younger audiences, incorporating elements of science fiction, superhero fiction, and the coming-of-age genre. Introduced in the original series, Ben starts the franchise as an ordinary 10-year-old boy on summer vacation with his family, during which he discovers the Omnitrix, a watch-like device of alien origin. It latches itself onto his wrist and allows him to transform into various alien species. Supported by his cousin, Gwen, and paternal grandfather, Max, Ben battles an extensive rogues' gallery of villains, including key figures, Vilgax, Dr. Animo, and Kevin 11. Over the course of the franchise, Ben becomes more adept at utilizing the Omnitrix and properly understanding his responsibilities as a hero.

In the sequel Alien Force, following the conclusion of the original series, five years have passed and a now 15- year-old Ben has mostly retired from superhero life. After the sudden disappearance of Grandpa Max, Ben chooses to reequip the Omnitrix. Once again supported by Gwen and reformed enemy, Kevin Levin (formally Kevin 11), Ben and his team face off against the Highbreed, an alien race attempting to invade Earth. They end up victorious in preventing a full-scale invasion and successfully locate Max. Ben, while awarded greatly for his efforts, suffers a moral dilemma. In addition, numerous enemies from his past resurface, including archnemesis Vilgax, who conspires with Albedo (Ben's evil doppelganger). In the process, Ben relinquishes the Omnitrix and replaces it with the Ultimatrix.

In the direct sequel, Ultimate Alien, beginning a year after the events of Alien Force, a now 16-year-old Ben faces new challenges as his secret identity is publicly exposed, making him a worldwide celebrity. Still supported by Gwen and Kevin, the group navigate through multiple obstacles including stardom and the "evolutionary feature" of the Ultimatrix along with the threats posed by Aggregor and later a corrupted Kevin. After defeating the demonic entity, Diagon, Ben is awarded the completed Omnitrix.

The final classic-continuity continuation, Omniverse, introduces a dual narrative structure, featuring flashbacks to an 11-year-old Ben while focusing primarily on Ben's adventures as a 16-year-old hero. This series seeks to retroactively bridge the gap between the original Ben 10 and Alien Force. The main storyline continues focusing on Ben's exploits with the new Omnitrix after Ultimate Alien. He partners with fresh plumber recruit, Rook Blonko, after Gwen and Kevin depart for college. Together, Ben and Rook explore the hidden alien city of Undertown, confronting a mix of old and new villains. The series delves into the concept of the multiverse, exploring alternate realities and different wielders of the Omnitrix.

In the 2016 series, the continuity underwent a reboot, reintroducing Ben as a 10-year-old in a contemporary setting. The reboot returns to a traditional setting of Ben on summer vacation adventures with Gwen and Max, while featuring updated technology, new villains, and an overhauled animation style. Additionally, the series brings back classic continuity characters like Kevin Levin. Over the course of the series, Ben's Omnitrix undergoes several cosmetic changes, and he battles an extensive array of villains. Ultimately, he aids his future self, assists the younger Generator Rex and fights alongside alternate versions of himself to defeat the villainous Alien X who is revealed to be a corrupt future version of himself.

Concept and creation

Logo of Man of Action Entertainment

In the early 2000s, Man of Action (writer collective composed of comic book creators Duncan Rouleau, Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, and Steven T. Seagle) was hired by Cartoon Network Studios to create an action animated show. They pitched twenty different ideas in twenty minutes, with each being a minute long. The eighth pitch, one about a boy named Ben 10 with the ability to change between 10 transformations, ended up being chosen. It was pitched to Cartoon Network in 2002 and during pre-production phases, the title went through several revisions, including Force 10 and Ben to the Tenth. The pitch in its earliest stages featured Ben Tennyson wielding a device known as the "Megawhat" that would transform him into alternate versions of himself around the multiverse. Around this time, the working title was Ben¹⁰, before the final title was decided to be Ben 10. Artist Steven E. Gordon designed concepts for Ben, his device (now known as the Omnitrix), and Ben's transformations. The transformations were shifted from being alternative versions of Ben to superheroes. Gordon's concepts of Ben depicted him as a slightly taller redhead boy and the Omnitrix resembled an ordinary wristwatch. Gordon designed concepts for the ten Omnitrix transformations. Unlike the official versions, these transformations were all still humanoid superheroes, each possessing one unique ability. These superheroes were Digger, Dragonfly, Ghostfreak, Greymatter, Inferno, PlantGuy, Razorjaws, StrongGuy, Upgrade, and XLR8. Aspects of Gordon that were retained included the names of Ghostfreak, Greymatter, Upgrade, and XLR8.

The idea of bringing in aliens was conceived by writer Greg Johnson during the original show's three-year production, though he was uncredited. Gordon updated his concepts, making his superhero concepts more alien and monster in nature. By 2005, artist Dave Johnson redesigned the transformations, following the decision to make them extraterrestrial aliens instead of superheroes. Johnson was credited with redesigning Ben and his transformations, in addition to the major supporting cast during the first two seasons of the classic series. He left the show, citing poor treatment and was replaced with Thomas Perkins. Johnson's final contribution to the franchise was designing the alien transformation Feedback for Ben 10: Omniverse years later.

Early on in development, it was decided that a villain would be within the Omnitrix. After Ghostfreak was created, dialogue was added into the first season to hint there is something more to Ghostfreak. Originally, Cannonbolt, the 11th alien transformation in the series, was intended to be in the original set of aliens but was replaced with Diamondhead. When working on test animations for the series, the first transformation to be showcased was Four Arms, and it was the most popular transformation out of all the aliens for Man of Action. Many unused designs for Upchuck were repurposed in the episode "Ben 10,000" as two of Ben's aliens, Spitter and Arctiguana, and the villain Sploot. The character's middle name, Kirby, was conceived as a reference to comic book artist Jack Kirby.

Despite Man of Action receiving credit for creating the series, their involvement following the end of the original series in 2008 was minimal with the show's production and had already moved on to other projects. Initial concepts for Ben's Alien Force and Ultimate Alien designs were made by Glen Murakami. His head and hair were reworked by Glenn Wong, who also gave him his green jacket, while colors were added by Chris Hooten.

Personality

You think I don't know? When it's hero time, if I mess up, somebody could die. From what you told me, if we mess up this time, everybody could die... Maybe that's too much to have in your head when you have to win. Maybe if I pretend everything is a big joke, when the time comes, I'll be able to do what I have to do.

— 10-year-old Ben to 17-year-old Kevin asking him to be serious.

In his early years of wielding the Omnitrix, Ben was arrogant, childish, and occasionally selfish. His immaturity often led him to not understanding the gravity of his decision making, landing him in trouble with his friends and family. Over time, Ben develops as a character as he becomes more mature and takes on the role of a hero. He has displayed leadership skills and the ability to adapt to a situation, such as when the Omnitrix provides him with the incorrect alien. He is also kind-hearted and willing to sacrifice himself for others. His idealistic views and unwillingness to compromise his values – aspects condemned by Azmuth, yet commended by others – sometimes drive him to act against reason, such as helping his enemies. Professor Paradox has praised Ben's good nature, stating he had the gift to make the right choices at the right moments, and Azmuth states that Ben always does the right thing. Ben is also determined to do what is right for those in need, especially his family, friends, and mentors.

However, when Ben fails to save someone or if someone is hurt because of his failures, he becomes angry and more violent. Perhaps the most notable of these instances is when Kevin willingly mutates himself to defeat Aggregor, as Ben was set on killing Kevin, even fighting Gwen when she refused to help him. He also threatened to hunt down and destroy the Forever Knights after making Driscoll promise to cease hunting aliens. Later on, Ben starts thinking of himself as more of a superhero than a Plumber, often remarking that he is not a cop, but a superhero.

As Ben 10,000

A future version of Ben sees him become strict, cynical, and serious about the hero business to the point of obsession. He mostly spent time in alien form patrolling and defeating criminals and also stopped naming his aliens. After meeting and having a talk with his younger self, he lightens up and starts naming his aliens again. He likes to spend time with his son and, while he tries to be close to him, he sometimes doubts his abilities as a parent and becomes overprotective. He can also be somewhat obtuse, not realizing where his son got his attitude from and grasping the obvious. Despite being older and more mature, he still has a teasing side, jokingly calling his cousin Gwen "dweeb". Ben 10,000 possesses bravery and courage. Even after becoming more light-hearted and relaxed person, he still has a fierce temper.

Fictional character biography

Classic Continuity (2005–2014)

Ben 10 (2005–2008)

Main article: Ben 10 (2005 TV series)

The series centers around Ben Tennyson (Tara Strong), a ten-year-old boy on a cross-country summer vacation with his cousin Gwen (Meagan Smith) and Grandfather Max (Paul Eiding). During his first night camping in Max's RV, affectionately called "The Rustbucket," Ben ventures into a nearby forest and stumbles upon a crashed meteorite, which turns out to be an alien pod containing the Omnitrix. The device attaches itself to his wrist, giving him the ability to transform into various alien life-forms. With his newfound abilities, and later discovery of Max's past as part of a secret government organization called The Plumbers, Ben navigates through the responsibilities of being a hero. Throughout their vacation, the Tennysons are attacked by multiple supervillains, including Vilgax, Kevin 11, The Forever Knights, Dr. Animo, and others. Despite his immaturity and occasional use of the Omnitrix for selfish purposes, Ben proves to be a worthy wielder of the device. Over the summer, Ben grows closes with his family and becomes more proficient with the Omnitrix.

After discovering the Omnitrix's ability to unlock alien transformations beyond the initially available batch, Ben significantly expands his alien arsenal by incorporating aliens Cannonbolt and Wildvine, while concurrently losing access to the Ghostfreak form after its DNA host, Zs'Skayr, escapes. Ben encounters future versions of himself, along with his family and several adversaries, during his first experience with time travel. With a deeper understanding of the Omnitrix, he temporarily unlocks "Master Control," enabling him to switch between his alien forms without time constraints. Ben confronts more enemies and further expands his roster of aliens with the inclusion of Benwolf, Benmummy, Benviktor (renamed Blitzwolfer, Snare-Oh, and Frankenstrike in Omniverse), and Upchuck, while learning that the Omnitrix was originally intended for his grandfather. Towards the end of the summer, Ben unlocks Ditto and Eye Guy, expanding his available roster. The Tennysons face the Negative 10, a coalition of the family's numerous enemies, and together, they work to successfully defeat them.

In the film Secret of the Omnitrix, Ben and Gwen are brought to space in search of the Omnitrix's creator after the self-destruct mode is activated. They are assisted by their ally, Tetrax, and Myaxx, a former assistant involved in the development of the Omnitrix. They locate the creator on the planet Xenon and learn that his name is Azmuth of the Galvan race. Frustrated by the weaponization of his creation, Azmuth refuses to help Ben, preferring the universe to be destroyed. Meanwhile, Vilgax launches an attack on Xenon with an army. Witnessing Ben's battle against Vilgax, despite the futile circumstances, restores Azmuth's faith. He repairs the Omnitrix and unlocks the Way Big transformation to aid in defeating Vilgax. Tetrax then returns Ben and Gwen home, and the Tennysons resume their summer adventures. Following the conclusion of the original series, two more films were produced: one during the run of the classic series and another several years after its conclusion. The first live-action film, Race Against Time, was originally canon, but was retconned from continuity during the run of Ultimate Alien , while the previously non-canon CGI animated film, Destroy All Aliens, was incorporated into continuity . Additionally, the Omniverse Flashbacks introduced new plot threads during the in-universe period between the original series and "Alien Force. In the film Destroy All Aliens, Ben struggles to readjust to civilian life after summer ends. Tetrax intends to take Ben to space again, but the Omnitrix malfunctions, leaving him stuck in his alien forms for extended periods. While in alien form, Ben encounters a Galvanic Mechamorph named Retaliator, and they battle across Earth until Ben escapes. Max and Gwen meet Ben in Bellwood, along with Retaliator, and the Omnitrix teleports them within itself. They manage to escape, along with a rogue To'Kustar, and Ben battles the To'Kustar as Way Big. Ben realizes the To'Kustar is Azmuth and helps him regain his senses. Azmuth repairs the Omnitrix and reconciles with Retaliator, who was his father, using advanced technology. In the Omniverse Flashbacks, which retroactively occur a year after the original series, Ben's roster of aliens continues to expand with the additions of Arctiguana, Spitter, and Feedback. He grows increasingly attached to Feedback and loses access to him in an altercation with Malware (a rouge Galvanic Mechamorph). Ben continues using the Omnitrix for some time but eventually removes it and resumes a normal life for four years.

Ben 10: Alien Force (2008–2010)

Main article: Ben 10: Alien Force

The Omnitrix in Alien Force

Following a four-year hiatus from his youthful superhero exploits, Ben's life has mostly returned to normalcy. After Grandpa Max disappears in the line of duty, Ben reequips the Omnitrix, which, after several years of dormancy, reboots itself, locking his older batch of aliens in favor of a new set of ten aliens. Assisted by Gwen and a reformed Kevin Levin, the group embarks on a mission to find Max. Upon discovering the Highbreed, an alien supremacist race, and their servants, the DNAliens, who are planning to invade Earth, they assemble a team dubbed the Alien Force to thwart their conspiracy. In his free time, Ben is in a romantic relationship with tennis player Julie Yamamoto, and during a date, she takes ownership of Ship, a pet Galvanic Mechamorph. The Alien Force later locates Max, but he sacrifices himself to save them from a Highbreed. Following Max's death, the Alien Force forges alliances with several individuals, including Time-Traveller Professor Paradox, a group of alien hybrids known as the Plumber's Helpers, and a technopath named Cooper. Having utilized all his nine aliens, Ben uses his 10th alien, Alien X, an omnipotent entity, for the first time but refrains from regular usage due to the personalities within it that he must compromise with to use Alien X's abilities. Meanwhile, Albedo, a former assistant of Azmuth, frames Ben for crimes after being left stuck as his doppelganger. Equipped with his own Omnitrix, Albedo's device is later deactivated by Azmuth, who has reconnected with his Galvan roots. Another of Ben's transformations, Big Chill, briefly possess Ben and, in the process, ends up having 14 Necrofriggian offsprings through the species' asexual reproduction. While fending off the Null Void from complete control by Dr. Animo, the Alien Force learn Max is still alive and has taken refuge there.

The Highbreed launch their galaxy-wide offensive across the universe, prompting Professor Paradox to bring Azmuth to Earth to inform Ben of the impending news. In response, Ben calls in Gwen, Kevin, along with other allies to defend Earth. Azmuth reinstates the master control in the Omnitrix, enabling Ben to utilize classic aliens like Cannonbolt, Way Big, and Upchuck for the first time in years. The Alien Force travel to Augstaka, the Highbreed home world, where they learn that the Highbreed are facing extinction due to generations of inbreeding and plan to annihilate the universe as a result. Ben uses the Omnitrix to merge the Highbreed's DNA, with the DNA of the Omnitrix, averting their extinction. Initially repulsed, the Highbreed accept their resolution after being persuaded by Reinsaragg III. Ben's efforts in concluding the Highbreed Wars earn him accolades from numerous planets. Although he loses access to Master Control, he retains access to the aliens he previously used along with Lodestar, his latest alien transformation.

In the film, Alien Swarm, the Alien Force uncovers a weapons deal involving bikers and discover Ben's old friend, Elena Validus, is involved. Elena reveals that she orchestrated the deal to seek Ben's assistance in locating her missing father, Viktor Validus. The weapons contain sentient technology known as Nanochips which subsequently attack the Alien Force. Although Elena escapes, she later reunites with the team. Together, they gather more intelligence on the Nanochips and, while at Plumber HQ, learn that the Nanochips have dispersed across the globe. Kevin presents Ben with a new car, the DX Mark 10, and they travel to the town of Barren Rock to locate the Nanochip Queen. Upon infiltrating the factory, they discover the Queen has taken up residency within Viktor Validus' body. The Omnitrix utilizes the Nanochips to merge them with Ben's DNA to create the Nanomech transformation in order to intercept the queen and maintain independence from her hive. Ben successfully defeats the Queen and manages to save Earth from the Nanochips. Viktor reconciles with Max, and Elena becomes a close ally of the Alien Force.

The recognition Ben receives from the universe after stopping the Highbreed Wars inflates his ego, leading to more reckless and overconfident behavior. During the interim period between the original series and sequel series, Vilgax conquered ten planets through the Conqueror's Challenge and threatens to do the same to Earth. Ben requests Master Control from Azmuth, who declines due to Ben's growing arrogance. Ben and Kevin's attempt to unlock Master Control independently results in Kevin mutating again, the Omnitrix malfunctioning, and several aliens gaining sentience and escaping. The Alien Force recapture the aliens, and Ben confronts Vilgax in the Bellwood Park. Despite the odds favoring Vilgax, the escaped Way Big alien's DNA is reabsorbed by the Omnitrix. Ben attempts to transform into Way Big but is transformed into Chromastone. Vilgax destroys Chromastone, but its remains are reformed into Diamondhead. Ben swiftly defeats Vilgax, saving Earth, but leaving Chromastone locked for a brief period of time. Despite his poor relations with Ben, Vilgax seeks the assistance of the Alien Force after Zs'Skayr seizes control of Vilgaxia and enslaves its population. On Vilgaxia, Ben confronts Zs'Skayr and prevents Vilgax from being possessed by him. Ben uses the Omnitrix to reabsorb Zs'Skayr's DNA, reactivating the Ghostfreak transformation. In addition to Ghostfreak, Ben unlocks Rath and later regains access to Chromastone. After escaping from prison and stealing an unstable and incomplete Omnitrix from Azmuth, Albedo modifies it into the Ultimatrix and equips it with the evolutionary feature: evolving existing aliens within the Omnitrix into their "ultimate forms". Seeking revenge on the Alien Force for thwarting his previous attempts to steal the Omnitrix, Vilgax and Albedo form an unlikely alliance and preform abductions of Gwen and Kevin. Max alerts Ben of the situation and Ben battles Albedo but is ultimately defeated. To save his allies, Ben surrenders the Omnitrix, and the Alien Force flee from battle in Max's Rustbucket II. Albedo is betrayed by Vilgax and the Alien Force intercepts Vilgax's ship. Knowing Vilgax will never relinquish the Omnitrix, Ben actives the self-destruct mode, destroying the Omnitrix. To defeat Vilgax, Ben takes Albedo's Ultimatrix, which is synced to the Omnitrix's DNA source, the Codon\ Stream, and leaves Vilgax to his fate in his sinking ship.

Ben 10: Ultimate Alien (2010–2012)

Main article: Ben 10: Ultimate Alien

Ben has wielded the Ultimatrix for over a year since defeating Vilgax, and his secret identity has been revealed to the world by a young boy named Jimmy Jones. Ben's newfound fame alters his life, as he is frequently smeared in the news by Will Harangue and is entangled with the celebrity world and media industry. During the interim between Alien Force and Ultimate Alien, Ben unlocks several of his original transformations, including Four Arms, Heatblast, and Wildmutt. When not navigating the media landscape, the Alien Force is investigating the arrival of five aliens from the Andromeda Galaxy. They learn that these aliens were being hunted by a warlord named Aggregor and they sought refuge on Earth. Despite the Alien Force's efforts to assist the aliens, they inadvertently facilitate their recapture by Aggregor. During this time, Ben's Ultimatrix scans each alien (Water Hazard, Terraspin, NRG, Armodrillo, and AmFibian), unlocking several aliens for Ben. After imprisoning the Andromeda Aliens, Aggregor merges their DNA with his own and embarks on a quest to gather the four pieces of the Map of Infinity. The Alien Force ventures to Mikd'Idty, Pissciss (Ripjaw's home world where the Ultimatrix reunlocks his DNA), Ledgerdomain, and Perplexahedron to collect the pieces of the Map of Infinity, but they fail each time as Aggregor secures them. Azmuth scolds the Alien Force for their failures, but Ben proposes one last resort: using Alien X and attempting to compromise with its personalities to harness Alien X's omnipotent abilities. Professor Paradox returns and transports the Alien Force onto the Rust Bucket III ship en route to the Forge of Creation. Paradox warns them to be cautious in their environment outside space-time and mentions that he cannot accompany them any further. Ben's impulsiveness accidentally transports his younger self to the future, and the group is attacked by Aggregor once more.

Despite the combined efforts of the Alien Force and the younger Ben, Aggregor swiftly defeats them and advances towards a baby Celestialsapien (Alien X's species) to grant himself omnipotence. With no other options, Kevin absorbs the alien DNA of Ben's Ultimatrix, sacrificing his sanity in an effort to defeat Aggregor. After absorbing Aggregor's acquired DNA from the Andromeda Aliens, Kevin departs from the Forge of Creation while leaving Aggregor unconscious. Throughout the universe, Kevin embarks on a revenge-fueled rampage against those who wronged him in the past. Kevin's actions lead to Ben becoming convinced that Kevin must be stopped permanently to end his madness, causing friction between Gwen and Ben as they battle each other. Ultimately, Ben, as Ultimate Echo Echo, confronts Kevin and defeays him in battle. After defeating Kevin, Ben, despite his earlier intention to kill him, ultimately spares him. Kevin is reverted to normal, and the Andromeda Aliens are separated from his body. Following Aggregor's defeat and Kevin's restoration to sanity, the Alien Force resume their normal activities. While on vacation, they meet a sentient earlier prototype of the Omnitrix, the Unitrix, and it quickly scans Gwen's DNA, making a clone of her (Eunice). Azmuth attempts to reclaim his creation through the employment of a bounty hunter but later allows Eunice to work on Primus after convincing from Ben. The Alien Force learn their former ally, Elena Validus, was the true Nanochip Queen, and the queen they defeated previously was merely a decoy. She becomes an adversary of the Alien Force, and later /retreats into hiding. The Alien Force encounter another future version of Ben, known as Ultimate Ben, who possesses the ability to use his alien powers in human form. Ultimate Ben, with the assistance of Professor Paradox, confronts Eon, an evil alternate future version of Ben . After defeating Eon and his minions, Ultimate Ben unlocks every currently locked alien that Ben has ever used, along with several new ones, including Clockwork, Fasttrack, Eatle, and Juryrigg.

Before departing, Paradox warns the Alien Force to beware of Old George and the Creature from Beyond. It is later revealed that the Creature from Beyond is a demonic entity serving the interdimensional deity, Dagon. Old George, an elderly man who wields the legendary Ascalon sword (another of Azmuth's creations), is the founder of the Forever Knights. He unites the fragmented Forever Knights groups into a single organization with the goal of eliminating alien life on Earth, though this is a merely a diversion for the larger purpose of defeating Dagon upon his eventual return. Meanwhile, the Flame Keepers Circle, a cult dedicated to Dagon, discovers the stranded Vilgax and mistakenly believes him to be Dagon, a role he embraces. Albedo, also stranded on Earth, exploits Ben's newfound fame to raise funds for a machine to revert him to his native Galvan form. However, the machine is unsuccessful and leaves him with the ability to transform into the Ultimatrix's aliens for several minutes. During this period, Ben's Ultimatrix scans Prisoner 775, unlocking the Chamalien transformation. Additionally, a glitch in the Ultimatrix grants sentience to several Ultimate Forms. Despite the Ultimates' earlier attacks on Ben, he is willing to sacrifice himself for their freedom within the Ultimatrix. Before he can do so, Azmuth intervenes and repairs the Ultimatrix while relocating the sentient ultimates. In the crossover, Heroes United, Ben is transported to another reality where he encounters that world's hero, Generator Rex. Initially at odds, the two heroes eventually reconcile to confront a greater threat, Alpha. During this encounter, Ben unlocks his latest alien, Shocksqautch. After Ben and Rex defeat Alpha, he uses Upchuck to transport Alpha to Null Void. Meanwhile, Vilgax becomes a pawn for Dagon while a war breaks out between the Esoterica and the Forever Knights. The conflict results in the deaths of majority of the Knights, including George himself. With the Knights and Esoterica in battle, Dagon seizes the opportunity to transform Earth's inhabitants into Esoterica members. However, Vilgax devises his own plan, and betrays Dagon, absorbing his essence into himself. Vilgax defeats Gwen and Kevin, leaving Ben the last one standing. Armed with George's sword, Ascalon, Ben confronts Vilgax once more. Ben ultimately triumphs, successfully defeating Vilgax and absorbing Dagon's essence into Ascalon. Despite being tempted by Vilgax to eradicate all evil, Ben resists and reverts the Esoterica to normal. In recognition of Ben's efforts, Azmuth awards him the completed Omnitrix after Ben relinquishes control of the Ultimatrix.

Ben 10: Omniverse (2012–2014)

Main article: Ben 10: Omniverse

The storyline alternates between that of eleven-year-old Ben (one year after the original series) and sixteen-year-old Ben (several months after Ultimate Alien). The Omniverse Flashbacks reveal that Ben wore the original Omnitrix a year after the original series concluded. The main storyline resumes from Ultimate Alien with the Alien Force embarking on one final adventure before Gwen and Kevin reveal their plans to leave Bellwood for university. Ben bids his allies farewell, believing himself ready to be an independent hero. However, Max assigns him a new partner, Rook Blonko, a newly deputized Plumber. Together, Ben and Rook travel underneath Bellwood to the underground city of Undertown to address the rising rates of organized crime. They encounter numerous predators unrelated to the gangs, learning that these predators are transformations belonging to a pet of the Faction, a group composed of prominent criminals including Khyber, Malware, and Dr. Psychoobus, armed with their own duplicate Omnitrix, the Nemetrix. Ben still familiarizing himself with the new Omnitrix, makes usage of his available transformations including Astrodactyl, Ball Weevil, Bloxx, Crashhopper, Gutrot, Toepick and Gravattack. After several encounters with the Faction in Undertown, Ben and Rook investigate an abandoned ship near Earth containing the Annihilargh, a doomsday device capable of erasing entire universes. It attracts the attention of multiple parties, including the Plumbers and the Incurseans. It is mistakenly activated, erasing the entire universe except for Ben, who survives as Alien X. Unable to reverse the universes' destruction, Ben convinces its personalities, Bellicus and Serena, to recreate the universe, despite some animosity towards Ben, they agree and recreate it, with minor differences. After the universe's recreation, Ben and Rook resume their lives as normal while they continue gathering intel of the Faction and any threats terrestrial and extraterrestrial. Ben himself begins dating a new girl named Ester, an alien hybrid, after he and Julie end their relationship. Eventually, Ben is captured by Khyber after an argument with Rook and he learns about the creation of the Nemetrix along with the shared history between the Faction's members. Ben and Rook reconcile and later fend off Plumber HQ from Psychoobus after he steals a piece of the Omnitrix to perfect the Nemetrix. The issues with the Omnitrix are later repaired while several aliens, including Walkatrout, Pesky Dust, The Worst, and Kicken Hawk are unlocked.

The Faction launches an attack on Galvan Prime, and Malware destroys Galvan B, the Galvanic Mechamorph home world. After landing on Galvan Prime, Malware battles Ben, defeating him and trapping him within his body. Inside Malware, Ben subconsciously meets his younger self and confronts his past. By addressing his regret over the loss of Feedback, Ben makes amends with himself and reunlocks the Feedback transformation. As Feedback, Ben defeats Malware, leaving his remains as stone. In the crossover episode, T.G.I.S, Ben assists the Secret Saturdays in subduing V.V. Argost and Dr. Animo. Ben and Rook accidentally travel to an alternate universe, where they meet a more reckless, celebrity-driven version of Ben named Ben 23 and help him become more responsible. Meanwhile, Professor Paradox and Eon battle after the latter's action result in swapping of minds between the older Ben and younger Ben. After defeating Eon and reversing his effects, Ben 10,000 appears and explains the conditions of the ongoing Time War to his younger self while mentioning the rouge Chronosapien, Maltruant. Outside the Time War, the Incurseans launch an invasion of Earth and succeed in conquering it with the help of mutated To'Kustars. Ben is sent to exile in outer space but is saved by Azmuth. To intercept the Incurseans, Ben uses Bullfrag to blend in with them and free the imprisoned Plumbers. Assisted by old allies Gwen, Kevin, and Argit, they defeat the Incurseans and relocate the To'kustars to the Null Void. After the Incurseans depart Earth, Albedo impersonates Ben while the real one is imprisoned in Plumber HQ. Working with Rook, Albedo perfects his Ultimatrix Stabilizer to control his alien transformations and battles against the real Ben. In the process, Albedo regains access to the Ultimate forms and escapes. Back at Plumber HQ, a resurfaced Phil Billings returns and attacks Max and Ben in his mutated Terroranchula form. In battle, he accidentally unlocks the Buzzshock transformation on the Omnitrix and is later sent back to the Null Void, while swearing revenge. Ben is later kidnapped by Albedo and Khyber while Max and Rook search the universe for Ben. After defeating Khyber, Ben and Rook, along with Gwen, Kevin, and Max fend off Albedo's attempts to steal Azmuth's intelligence. Azmuth, without his smarts, mistakenly unlocks the Atomix transformation, which Ben uses to defeat Albedo. In battle against Dr. Animo and his future counterpart, Future Animo, Ben unlocks the Gutrot transformation and defeats both Animos. Ben and Rook travel to the Anur System to stop the combined threats of Zs'Skayr and Lord Transyl. The Omnitrix scans Transyl to unlock the Whampire transformation and Transyl is defeated while Zs'Skayr is entrapped by an artificial sun. After defeating Transyl and entrapping Zs'Skayr, it is revealed that Vilgax and Eon have formed a partnership and secretly recruit evil versions of Ben across the multiverse along with Albedo. Professor Paradox enlists the help of Ben along with Ben 23, Gwen 10, Ben 10,00 and a version of Ben with no Omnitrix. Vilgax betrays Eon and uses the Chronosapien Time Bomb to erase every universe except No Watch Ben's universe. Before Ben Prime's erasure, he gives the Omnitrix to No Watch Ben, and he and Paradox travel the Omniverse to recruit Bens. In battle, No Watch Ben uses Clockwork to restore the multiverse before returning the watch to Ben Prime and defeating Vilgax.

Phill Billings returns along with the Rooters, and their leader, Proctor Servantis, reveals several revelations. The Plumber's Helpers were originally ordinary children who were made hybrids by the usage of Kevin's abilities and the DNA of an alien. Kevin's species, the Osmosians aren't an alien species, but rather a special term for humans with special abilities, and Devin Levin, Kevin's father was revealed to have been a fake memory implemented in Max's mind and he never existed. These revelations cause Kevin to become a villain again, but this was simply a ruse used by Kevin to defeat the Rooters and after their defeat, they are left stranded in the Null Void. The Celestialsapiens later hold Ben for trial for his illegal recreation of the universe. After being found guilty, Ben's Galvan lawyer, Chadzmuth, offers to invoke the "Tetramand Trial of Combat" to ensure his innocence. He wins and, in the process, gains complete control over Alien X. Ben and Ben 23 are left stranded in an alternate universe and have to work with Dr. Psychoobus to free themselves. They later stage a revolt against that world's leader, Mad Ben, and return to their respective universes. Khyber once again returns with the Nemetrix and equipped with him is Skurd the Slimebiote. Skurd's unique abilities allow him to forge weapons of the DNA available in the Nemetrix. He later betrays Khyber and joins Ben and Rook. Around this time, Ben and Ester mutually end their relationship, and he begins dating his childhood crush, Kai Green. Ben, Rook, and Skurd along with Professor Paradox later face Maltruant and his minions in their attempts to retrieve the rebuilt Annhiliargh in the final stages of the Time War. On Galvan Prime, Albedo and Vilgax once again team up and use Malware's remains to craft Galvanic Mechamorph armor. Despite Vilgax having the upper hand, Ben is ultimately victorious with Skurd's assistance, and they leave Vilgax to his fate in his exploding ship. Albedo's Ultimatrix is deactivated, and he's left on Galvan Prime to serve out his prison sentence. The Time War reaches its conclusion as Ben and Rook follow Maltruant in his quest to reach the beginning of time. After reaching the Countumelia Ship, Maltruant uses the Annhiliargh to create the universe in his image. Ben attempts to stop it, but is too late, but the Omnitrix transforms Ben intro Feedback to absorb the Big Bang and destroy Maltruant. Paradox returns and explains that Maltruant will be left in an endless time loop where he will attempt to reassemble himself and create his own universe but fail each time after his defeat in Ben. Skurd bids farewell to Ben and Rook and the two scatter Maltruant's remains across the universe. After returning to Bellwood, Ben and Rook contact Gwen and Kevin to join them in a outer space road trip.

Future

Ben remains happy and cocky until he turns 20. The events, while never displayed, caused Ben to mutilate Vilgax, and become strict and serious. Throughout the next 10 years, he would unlock over 10,000 aliens, have unrestricted access to Master Control, and establish his own city named Omnitrix City. He becomes distant from his family and dedicates his time towards patrolling Earth 24/7. Ben 10K later comes into contact with his younger, 10-Year-Old self who was brought 20 years into the future by Gwen. His interaction with his younger self helps him change his ways and both face off against the combined forces of the revived Vilgax and Dr. Animo. After defeating both villains, they attend Max's 80th birthday. Over the next 12 years, he married Kai Green and had two kids with her. That being Kenny Tennyson and Gwendolyn Tennyson. In preparation for his son's 10th birthday, he uses his smartest aliens to create a replica Omnitrix for his son. Him and Ken work together to defeat several villains, but Ken is frustrated that Ben keeps taking them without ever letting him directly participate in battle. Ken meets Devlin Levin (Kevin's son) and befriends him. Devlin later betrays Ken and frees Kevin 11,000 from the Null Void. Ben and Kevin battle each other, but he is temporarily knocked unconscious. Ken and Devlin battle against Kevin, but are easily defeated. An enraged Ben uses Way Big to viciously beat up Kevin, though the latter quickly recovers. Devlin decides to go against his father and trap him in the Null Void and chooses to live with Ben and Ken.

Over the next several years, Ben develops the Biomnitrix (a dual system Omnitrix) using his smartest aliens again. Ben 10,000 later visited his younger 16-Year-old self, looking for Professor Paradox and informing him of the Time War and its early stages. He later assists his younger self again along with multiple alternate versions of himself against Vilgax, Eon, and other evil versions of himself. Ben 10K was temporarily erased from time after the Chronosapien Time Bomb went off and was subsequently restored by No Watch Ben using Clockwork. He later assists Professor Paradox, his younger self, and Rook with subduing the Time Beasts and creates the Time Cycles for younger Ben and Rook. Later on, Ben and Kai try to stop Dr. Animo from using the Chronoporter from travelling back in time, but he succeeds but is quickly brought by Chrono-Spanner with the married couple remarking on how they haven't seen him in years. Ben calls on Ken to join him and Kai in transferring Animo back to Plumber HQ and Kai quickly confiscates his Omnitrix. They return to Plumber HQ and celebrate Max's Retirement while meeting with Gwen and Kevin (who is no longer evil) but are interrupted by Maltruant. Ben battles Maltruant as Atomic-X (fusion of Alien X and Atomix) and Chrono Spanner defends Ben from Maltruant's blast which reveals that Chrono Spanner was Ken all along. Maltruant later freezes time temporarily and goes off into the timestream to ensure he's able to remake the universe in his image, though he inevitably fails and is defeated by younger Ben.

Ben 10 (2016–2021)

Main article: Ben 10 (2016 TV series)

A reboot of the franchise set in an alternate universe, Ben 10 introduces a re-imagined Ben (reprised by Strong), his cousin Gwen (Montserrat Hernandez), and Grandpa Max (David Kaye), as they travel the country during summer vacation. Ben finds the Omnitrix offscreen and gains access to 10 aliens. He meets with enemies like Dr. Animo, Hex, Zombozo, and several others while becoming accustomed to nine of his aliens and names all of them. He awakens a Hydromander nesting in Niagara Falls and has to use Overflow (the one alien he hasn't used) to stop him. While battling Dr. Animo he unlocks his 11th alien, Gax (Chimera Sui Generis). The Tennysons later meet with Max's old friend, Phill Billings, and he places a device on the watch to get more readings off it. Ben develops an addiction to Gax and this attracts the true attention of Vilgax who takes the DNA of Gax to make himself whole again while locking the Gax transformation. Vilgax leaves and attempts to power a ship that'll allow him to leave Earth while Ben has to deal with the Omnitrix's rapid shifting between transformations. Ben faces off against Vilgax and the two battle in his ship. Ben realizes the only way to fix his Omnitrix is to enhance it so he uses Upgrade to repair which in turn "upgrades" the Omnitrix, locks Upgrade, and unlocks a new alien named Shock Rock as rempleaze. Ben faces off against Vilgax and leaves him to his fate in his sinking ship in a volcano. Ben joins with Max and Gwen and the Tennysons resume their summer vacation. Ben notices that Upgrade has seemingly vanished from the Omnitrix and has gained a strange new phenomenon of "Omni-Enhancements" which coats his aliens in strange electrical rock and blue energy and grants them electrically enhanced superpowers.

Vilgax survived his fate, but his ship's destruction leaves him stranded on Earth and he teams up with many of Ben's enemies. In Crossover Nexus, Ben is brought to an alternate dimension and meets with heroes Garnet, K.O., and Teen Titans member Raven and must stop a mysterious villain dubbed Strike. Ben is unable to turn into aliens and is stuck as Four Arms, but towards the end, he stops the villain using newly acquired aliens in the Nexus Realm (all of whom are inaccessible unless Ben is present there). While attending a race, Ben battles Vilgax once more and uses Shock Rock to capture him. Ben sleepwalks as Shock Rock and develops strange machines to which Vilgax warns. Ben frees Vilgax and the two go within the Omnitrix and meet Glitch. Glitch explains that Upgrade's DNA had to merge with Ben's DNA to survive the Omnitrix's upgrading when Ben and Vilgax fought each other. He further elaborates by mentioning that he had to replace Upgrade's spot in the Omnitrix with Shock Rock and the alien's DNA allowed it to absorb the excess charge which caused the creation of the Omni Enhancements. Every time Ben accessed Shock Rock, he sent a signal pulse to the Fulmuni's planet. Glitch tried his best to circumvent the issues, but a portal was established between the Fulmuni homeworld and the Omnitrix. The three battle the fulmuni, but matters are complicated when the High Override sends Vilgax to the Null Void and Ben is placed under his control. Max and Gwen go within the Omnitrix and help Ben break free from the Override's control and help defeat the High Override. The Omnitrix reboots and Glitch transports the three out of the Omnitrix. This causes Grey Matter, Wildvine, and Overflow to be locked and replaced with aliens Rath, Slapback, and Humungousaur while the Omni Enhancements are no longer accessible.

Phill Billings gifts the Tennysons the Omni Copter to traverse around the world and they learn that Ben's old schooler Kevin Levin has his own version of the Omnitrix dubbed the Antitrix. Ben and Kevin form a rivalry with each other and battle around the world. Meanwhile, the mysterious Forever Knight is gathering intel on Ben. He later joins the Forever Knight and the group of villains he's gathered up for his goal of preventing alien life from reaching Earth. Ben realizes this will prevent him from finding the Omnitrix and betrays Forever Knight. He's assisted by Gwen and Kevin and the three defeat him. Phil informs the Tennysons a second piece came with the pod that held the Omnitrix and they travel back to the Omnitrix's crash site to retrieve the Omnitrix Key. Ben inserts it into the Omnitrix and unlocks the Omni Kix Armors while Stinkfly is locked and replaced with Jetray. In the film, VS The Universe, the Tennysons learn a meteor is heading towards Earth and Ben uses the Omni Naut Armors to traverse space. He misses the meteor and is left in deep space while the meteor is revealed to be a pod holding an escaped Vilgax. While in space, Ben is abducted by a spaceship and is sent to the Null Void where he the Omnitrix's creator. Azmuth explains to Ben that Vilgax assisted him in the Omnitrix's development but grew power hungry. Azmuth responded by absorbing half of Vilgax's DNA into the Omnitrix to stop Vilgax but was sent to the Null Void as punishment. Ben learns how to unlock more aliens including his own long-time aliens lost and leaves the Null Void to return to Earth. Meanwhile, the Tennysons are assisting Kevin, but encounter Vilgax. Vilgax takes the Antitrix from Kevin, and attacks the Tennysons, Phil, and Kevin. Vilgax grows exhausted of setbacks, and terraforms Earth. Ben returns to Earth and battles Vilgax as Way Big, Vilgax meanwhile transforms into Alien V. Ben is victorious and Azmuth uses the Omnitrix to revert things back to normal. Towards the end of summer, he meets his future counterpart and defends Earth from the invading Xerge and unlocks his 11th alien, Surge. He assists a younger Generator Rex from Hex's usage of nanites and teams up with several alternate versions of himself throughout the Multiverse to stop an evil Alien X and they discover the rouge figure to be an alternative and evil version of Ben called Ben X. After the Bens and Gwen 10 are returned to their universes, Ben happily embraces Max and Gwen.

Future

Ben had a confrontation with Steam Smythe and had accidentally sent a signal to the invasive species known as Xerge who invaded Earth. Ben's Omnitrix upgraded for the fourth time and had given him access to 10,000 aliens. During an incident, Ben had failed his friends and family. The incident left Max stuck as a Hologram and Kevin as Humungouraptor (Vaxasaurian Hybrid). After 20 years passed, he comes out of hiding and faces off the Xerge. Hex attempts to recruit him, but after Ben rejects, he brings in Max which convinces him to join. Hex takes Ben to the White House where Gwen and reunites with her for the first time. After some arguing, Ben as Buzzshock has a vision of his past self and travels back in time through a time portal developed by Steam Smythe and Dr. Animo. He brings his past self to the future and the two of them face off against the Xerge and successfully defeat them. After young Ben returns to the past, Ben 10,000 shaves his beard, loses weight, and returns to his hero activities by emitting his trademark catchphrase. "It's Hero Time"

Portrayal

Voice actors

10-year-old Ben is voiced by Tara Strong in the original Ben 10 series which aired from 2005 to 2008. She would later return as 10-year-old Ben in Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, in the episode "The Forge of Creation" and reprises her role as Ben at age 11 in flashback episodes of Ben 10: Omniverse. The character underwent a reboot, returning as a 10-year-old in the 2016 reboot, with Strong reprising her role; along with voicing his original series incarnation at age 10 in "Alien X-Tinction". Strong had to re-audition for the role in the reboot; as Man of Action was initially considering the new iteration of Ben being voiced by a child voice actor before ultimately deciding that Strong reprise her role as the character. Strong voiced 10-year-old Ben in all series to date except Ben 10: Alien Force, where he never spoke.

Ben 10: Alien Force, the sequel series to the original, reintroduced Ben at 15 years old; voiced by Yuri Lowenthal. When casting teenage Ben for Alien Force during the audition process, Lowenthal revealed that he was called back multiple times during the audition process to read for the role before ultimately being cast. He would later reprise his role as teenage Ben (16 years old) in Ben 10: Ultimate Alien and Ben 10: Omniverse (sharing the role in the latter with Tara Strong, who voices 11-year-old Ben). Both Strong and Lowenthal also voice alternate versions of Ben in Omniverse. Lowenthal returns in the 2016 reboot cameoing as an elderly Ben in the episode "The 11th Alien: Part 2", and later returns to voice the aforementioned 15 and 16-year-old counterparts of Ben in "Alien X-Tinction".

Adult versions of Ben have also been featured over the course of the five series, referred to as "Ben 10,000". Different versions of Ben 10,000 have appeared in each series (with the exception of Alien Force). Ben 10,000 was voiced by Fred Tatasciore in the original series as well as the 2016 reboot, while Sean Donnellan voices him in Ultimate Alien; and Judd Nelson in Omniverse.

Live action

In the film Ben 10: Race Against Time, he was portrayed by Graham Phillips. The film originally aired on Cartoon Network on November 21, 2007. In Ben 10: Alien Swarm, he was portrayed by Ryan Kelley. The film originally aired on Cartoon Network on November 25, 2009. According to Kelley, additional sequels were planned but never came to fruition.

See also

• List of Ben 10 characters
• Robby Reed and Chris King and Vicki Grant